The book of Ecclesiastes is somewhat an anomaly in the Bible. It focuses more on philosophy compared other books, but nonetheless still has a continuing focus on serving God. The work considers the meaning of life and how one is to go about living it. The author of Ecclesiastes is traditionally thought to be King Solomon, due to the references to being king in Jerusalem and son of David, and having great wealth and numerous written works (Bullock 183-85; Ehrman 203). Women are discussed in a negative light, described as leading men to sin, so this could also validate this view. However, some scholars oppose this, saying that details like the use of past tense (which doesn’t fit Solomon as he was king until his death), the pseudonym of Qoheleth, and statements that place the writer beneath royalty give an impression that someone else wrote Ecclesiastes. They have instead proposed the idea that the writer, Qoheleth, is using the identity of Solomon to give character and authority to the work (Bullock 185; Coogan 944).
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He is not able to go as deep in development of his wisdom as he would like it since it “is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?” He recognizes that wisdom is not easy to achieve (Coogan 952; Harrelson 937). In the NSRV, Ecclesiastes 7:25 ends as “wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness.” In the KJV, it is worded as, “the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and and madness.” The GNT phrases it as “how wicked and foolish stupidity is.” It doesn’t seem clear to which Qoheleth is referring with such differences, but commentaries in the New Oxford Annotated Bible and the New Interpreter’s Study Bible have concluded that it is folly. It doesn't seem clear to what Qoheleth is referring with these differences, but as previously shown, commentaries in the New Oxford Annotated Bible and the New Interpreter's Study Bible have concluded it to be
The language used also …show more content…
He is not able to go as deep in development of his wisdom as he would like it since it “is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?” He recognizes that wisdom is not easy to achieve (Coogan 952; Harrelson 937). In the NSRV, Ecclesiastes 7:25 ends as “wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness.” In the KJV, it is worded as, “the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and and madness.” The GNT phrases it as “how wicked and foolish stupidity is.” It doesn’t seem clear to which Qoheleth is referring with such differences, but commentaries in the New Oxford Annotated Bible and the New Interpreter’s Study Bible have concluded that it is folly. It doesn't seem clear to what Qoheleth is referring with these differences, but as previously shown, commentaries in the New Oxford Annotated Bible and the New Interpreter's Study Bible have concluded it to be